Type action



Sept. .26, 1961 K. R. FRECHETTE TYPE ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11, 1961 INVENTOR KENNETH R. FRECHETTE A l' ORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 K. R. FRECHETTE TYPE ACTION 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed April 11, 1961 INVENTOR REC TTE I BY low ATTORNEYS KENNETH R United States Patent 3,001,627 TYPE ACTION Kenneth R. Frechette, Bristol, Conn., assignor to Royal McBee Corporation, Port Chester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 102,265 8 Claims. (Cl. 197-17) intricate type of construction and/or operation. This type of device may significantly contribute to the overall costs of the mechanism and to the possibility of malfunctions of the power driven action during high speed and/ or prolonged operations.

One object of the present invention is to provide a very reliable, low cost and eflicient by-pass arrangement for type actions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a by-pass arrangement for type actions whereby a single spring provides the biasing force for both the key lever and the associated by-pass element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel by-pass device for type actions whereby a substantially rigid or non-flexible lever is mounted for pivotal movement in one plane so as to be capable of transferring a control movement initiating a power stroke of a type bar actuating linkage, and also for lateral swinging movement in a plane transverse to said one plane so as to provide a non-repeat function for the type action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel by-pass arrangement for a type action whereby a substantially rigid member is mounted for movement in either of two mutually intersecting planes, movement in one of said planes serving to initiate a power operation of the type action and movement in the other of said planes serving to effect a non-repeat function for the type action A further object of the invention is to provide an intermediate lever operatively disposed between the key lever and the power roll engaging element of a type action whereby said intermediate lever is biased in lateral and rotational directions by means of a single spring so that the pivotal movement of the intermediate lever caused by depression of the key lever against the action of said spring initiates a power operation of the type action, and so that the lateral movement of the intermediate lever will permit a non-repeat function for the type action, the lever remaining laterally away from a normal position until both the type bar actuating linkage and the key control lever are restored to their normal positions.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view showing the normal condition of the principal parts of the instant type action.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view showing the nonrepeat active condition of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top view showing another active condition of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

Unless otherwiseindicated it may be assumed that the Patented Sept. 26, 1961 various hereinafter mentioned typewriter parts are suitably arranged and supported on the machine frame in a conventional manner.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a type bar 10 which is pivotally mounted on the usual segment wire 11 and which is adapted to swing from a normal position on the head rest'12 into printing contact with the typewriter platen 13. The means for driving the type bar 10 comprises an actuating linkage 14 having a sub-lever 15 that is pivotally mounted on a shaft '16 secured to the machine frame 17. A link 20 articulately interconnects the type bar and sub-lever. Rotatably mounted on the sub-lever is a roll earn 21' which is biased in a counter clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 1, by means of a spring 22, the counter clockwise limit of movement of the roll cam relative to the sub-lever being determined by the engagement of a bent oif roll cam ear 23 with the adjacent rearward edge 24 of the sub-lever. In operation the roll cam 21 is adapted to'be displaced in a clockwise direction so as to move into operative frictional driving engagement with the constantly rotating rubber coated power roll 25 thereby initiating a forward powered printing stroke of the type bar. After the typing impact the type bar 10 and sub-lever 15 are returned to their normal position by means of the usual return spring 26; meanwhile spring 22 has restored the roll cam 21 to its normal FIGURE 1 position. The construction and operation of the above described apparatus is more or less conventional and hence need not be further discussed here.

The means for controlling the initiation of the above described power action comprises a key control linkage 28 having a key lever 29 which is pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 30 secured to themachine frame 17, the upper and lower limits of travel of the key lever being determined by the usual stops 31 and 32. The key lever is formed with a depending finger 33 that engages the upper surface of a bent off shelf 34 formed on the forward end of a rigid or non-flexible intermediate control lever 35 that is loosely pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 36. The angularly extending rearward portion of lever 35 terminates with a tip 37 that normally underlies the lower edge of a tail 38 formed on said roll cam 21 and which lies just in front of the laterally but angularly bent-01f cam portion 40, FIGURES 1 and 3, formed on the sublever 15. The lever 35 is prevented from bodily moving axially along the cross shaft 36 by being movably disposed in slots 41 and 42 respectively formed in the frame 17 and a comb 43; said comb being secured to the machine frame by screws 44. The lever 35 in being loosely pivotally mounted on shaft 36 is capable of partaking of a slight amount of lateral swinging movement about a vertical pivot axis-which is coplanar with lever 35 and which passes through axis of shaft 36 so that the said rear-j ward tip 37 of the control levelmay move away from its said normal'position and towards the observer as viewed in FIGURE 1 to a position wherein said lever end 37 is moved laterally out from under the said roll cam tail 38. The bent ofi lever shelf 34 being wide enough sons to remain in engagement with the key lever'finger' 33 throughout any such lateral swinging movement of the control lever. A single angularly extending spring 45, FIGURES 1 and 3, is operatively connected between a hooked depending portion 46 of lever 35 and a cross bracket 47 that is secured to the side frames of the machine by any suitable means. As will be apparent due; to the orientation of spring 45 the control lever will befsimultaneously biased in two directions or planes, i.e. ,the rearward lever tip 37 will be laterally biased into normal underlying relation with respect .to the roll cam tail 38 and the control lever as awh'ole will in'a clock? wise direction so that the lever shelf 34 yieldably maintains the key lever 30 in a normal upper position.

In operation when the key lever 29 is depressed against the action of spring 45 tl1f8 resultant counter clockwise movement oftlrecontrol lever 35 will cause the rearward tip 37 to engage and rotatably displace the roll cam 21 so asto initiate a power action of the type bar 10. During the forward stroke of the actuating linkage '14- the angular cam portion 40 of'the sub-lever will laterally displace the said lever tip 37 out from underneath the roll cam tail -38 against the lateral biasing action of spring 45 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. If after the power action has been initiated the key lever 29 is immediately permittedto be moved back to its normal upper position by spring 45 then when the typing action is completed and the sub-lever is-restored to its normal position the rearward lever tip 37 of the intermediate control lever will have ridden down off the sub-lever cam portion 40 and will be free to laterally move to its normal position underneath the roll camtail 38;under the lateral biasing action of spring 45. If however the key lever 29 is held in the depressed condition after the initiation of a power typing action then when the type bar actuating linkage 14 is restored to normal condition the now elevated rear-.

ward lever tip 37 will be laterally biased by spring 45' into engagement with the flat side face of the roll cam tail 38 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and hence in this condition is incapable of initiating a second or repeat power typing action until such time as the key lever is permitted to move to its upper position so that said rearward lever tip 37 can again get in underneath the roll cam tail 38 under the biasing action of spring 45. As will be apparent the pivotal movement of the control lever tip 37 in a vertical plane and about the axis of shaft 36 serves to initiate a power typing action while the relatively slight lateral cyclically occurring displacement thereof in a horizontal plan permits a by-pass or non-repeat action to take place when the key lever is held depressed, both of these two movements of the control lever taking place against the action of the single spring 45. Only when the type bar actuating linkage 14 and the key control linkage 28 have been restored to their normal conditions will the control lever tip 37 be in an operative position so as to make initiation of a second power typing stroke possible.

' Prolonged tests indicate that a type action constructed and-arranged in accordance with the above described principles afiords a very reliable, efficient and low cost mechanism for controlling the power operation of the type bars and/ or service function linkages of an electric typewriter.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this "form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. :In a power action for an electric typewriter having a power roll, an actuating linkage adapted to engage and be operatively driven by said power roll, and a control linkage for controlling the initiation of power operated strokes of said actuating linkage; said control linkage comprising a non-flexible lever which is ,mounted for control movement in one plane and 'for lateral swinging movement in a different plane, said lever being constructating linkage; said control linkage comprising an intermediate lever which is mounted for pivotal movement in one-plane so as to transmit those control movements which cause an operative engagement of the type bar actuating linkage with said power roll, said intermediate lever also being mounted and arranged for lateral movement in a second plane whereby a non-repeat action occurs when said key control linkage is held in its operated condition.

3. Apparatus defined by claim 2; additionally comprising a single spring means for simultaneously biasing said intermediate lever in both rotative and lateral directions.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 2; additionally comprising a single spring means for yieldably retaining said key control linkage in its normal position, and means for laterally displacing said intermediate lever in said second plane in response to each cyclic operation of said type bar actuating linkage.

5. In a type action for electric typewritershaving a power roll, a type bar actuating linkage adapted to be power driven by said powerroll, and a key control link- 7 age for controlling the operative engagement of said type bar actuating linkage with said power roll; said control linkage including anon-flexible intermediate lever, means 'for mounting said lever for pivotal movement about one axis and for lateral swinging movement about a second axis, one end of said lever being arranged to be pivotally displaced about said first axis so as to thereby cause said type bar actuating linkage to be operatively coupled to said power roll, the other end of said lever being arranged so as to be laterally displaced about said second axis to an inoperative position in response to the power operation of said type bar actuating linkage and for being held in this laterally displaced inoperative position until both the type bar actuating linkage and the key control linkage are restored to their normal positions.

6. Apparatus as defined by claim 5; additionally comprising a single spring means for yieldably retaining said lever in a normal lateral and rotative position when said linkages are in their respective normal positions.

7. Apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein said spring means biases said key control linkage to a normal position, and wherein cam means are provided on the type bar actuating linkage so as to cause a lateral displacement of said lever about said second axis and against the action of said spring means in response to each power driven stroke of said type bar actuating linkage.

8. In a type action, a power roll, a type bar actuating linkage, said linkage having a power roll engaging member which is adapted to be moved into operative engagement with said power roll so as to power operate said linkage through a cyclic printing stroke, a key lever, an intermediate control lever mounted for pivotal movement in one plane and lateral swinging movement in a second plane, a single spring means biasing said control lever to a normal position so that one end of said control lever yieldably retains said key lever in its normal elevated position and also yieldably retains the other end of said lever in a laterally operative control motion transmitting position with respect to said power roll engaging member, and cam means on said type bar actuating linkage for laterally displacing said control lever in a second plane to an'inoperative position with respect to said power roll engaging power stroke of said type bar actuating linkage, the parts being constructed and arranged so that after the initiation'of a power printing stroke said spring means is prevented from laterally restoring said control lever to its normal position with respect to said power roll engaging member until both the type bar actuating linkage and said key lever are restored to their normal positions, said spring means also serving to simultaneously bias said control lever and said key lever to their respective normal positions,

No references cited. 

